Austria family-visit visa from India: the official document checklist, decoded

The checklist, as published

Condensed from the official document linked above; wording is the mission's, shortened. Where the mission names an official form it is listed under "Forms". Always download the current version from the source link on the day you apply.

1. Application form fully completed in English or German and signed by the applicant
2. Passport valid 3 months beyond departure from Member States, two blank pages, issued within 10 years, no handwritten amendments
3. One photograph in accordance with ICAO international standards
4. Valid permit to return, if applicable
5. Cover letter stating purpose, duration, names of accompanying persons, transport and accommodation details
6. Invitation from the family member/friend including their address, contact details and intended period of stay
7. Evidence of legal residence of family/friends visited: copy of passport/national ID card or residence permit
8. If applicable: sponsor's electronic letter of guarantee EVE, obtained at the competent Fremdenpolizeibehoerde of the sponsor's district
9. Round-trip flight reservation / travel itinerary, plus proof of onward travel within Austria/EU if applicable
10. Proof of accommodation: hotel reservation / tour organizer letter / other documentation of travel plans within Austria/EU
11. Travel medical insurance valid throughout Member States for entire stay, minimum EUR 30,000
12. Proof of occupation: employed = salary certificate last 3 months, employment contract, company NOC; official email or business card
13. Self-employed: GST certificate / Udyog Aadhaar / IEC / Certificate of Incorporation; retired: 3 months pension; student: enrolment proof
14. Proof of funds: original bank statements last 3 months and/or other funds; ITR with barcode for last 2 years
15. Minors: original notarized NOC by other parent (travelling with one parent) or both parents (alone), plus parents' passport/ID copies
16. Copy of present passport (data pages, last page, previous visas); copies of earlier Schengen visas/stamps or proof of loss
17. Contact details of the applicant: operational email address, mobile number and business card

Forms named by the mission

• EVE, Elektronische Verpflichtungserklaerung (electronic letter of guarantee of the sponsor); the applicant quotes the eight-digit EVE ID number; obtained by the host at the Fremdenpolizeibehoerde in Austria
• Application Form Visum C (April 2025 version)

Notes the mission attaches

• Embassy page: an informal letter of invitation may be presented for visiting trips; if own funds are insufficient, the eight-digit ID number of the Electronic Declaration of Sponsorship is required.
• Embassy page: evidence of economic, family and social roots in the home country (property, employment, studies, pension, family ties) is expected.
• Insurance minimum EUR 30,000 including repatriation for medical reasons; family members of EEA/Swiss citizens exempt.
• Processing can take up to 15 working days; may extend to 45 calendar days; apply at least 1 month before travel.

What each item is for

Every Schengen checklist is Article 14(1) of the Visa Code made specific: (a) purpose of the journey, (b) accommodation, (c) means of subsistence for the stay and the return, (d) information enabling an assessment of your intention to leave before the visa expires. Read the list above with those four heads in mind: bookings and invitations answer (a) and (b); bank statements, salary slips and tax returns answer (c); employment, business, family and property papers answer (d). Our documents guide explains each head, and the cover-letter guide shows how to make them agree.

For a family or friends visit the host's documents carry the weight: proof of the host's status in Austria, the relationship, and, where the mission uses one, its own hospitality or sponsorship form. A missing or informal invitation is the classic route to ground 2 or 10 on the refusal form.

Processing time, as stated by the mission

"Processing can take up to 15 working days after receiving the application; in individual cases that period may be extended up to 45 calendar days, particularly when further scrutiny of the application is needed. Embassy visa page: as a rule the processing time of an admissible application should not exceed 15 calendar days; if further checks are necessary it may increase to 45 calendar days." (source) The Visa Code sets 15 calendar days from an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Article 23).

Austria's record for applications lodged in India

In 2025 Austria decided 48,761 applications lodged in India and refused 21.6% (all-India average 15.7%); 28.4% of visas issued were multiple-entry. Its consulates: New Delhi (21.6%). Which one handles you depends on your state of residence: see the Austria country page.